______ was the leading producing State of manganese ore accounting for 33% of total production during 2019-20 in India.

The correct answer is Madhya Pradesh.

Key Points:

• Manganese is a mineral that naturally occurs in a silvery grey color and is exceedingly hard and brittle.
• It is constantly combined with minerals like laterite, iron, and others.
• Steel production requires manganese in the form of an alloy, and steel production is one of the most significant markers of growth in any nation's industrial sector.
• India's top manganese producer in Madhya Pradesh.
• India is currently one of the main countries importing manganese ore.

Additional Information:

• Other states in India that produce manganese include Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh.
• Madhya Pradesh produced almost 33% of all the manganese produced in India in 2019–20.
• Maharashtra produced almost 25% of all the manganese produced in India in 2019–20.
• Around 18% of India's total manganese production in 2019–20 was produced in Odisha.
• Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh made about 11% each of the nation's manganese production in 2019–20.